Online book: Cobb's Creek Golf Course: Uncovering a Treasure

[Joe Bausch]

The Friends of Cobb's Creek Golf Course are pleased to make available for reading online a document culminating the passion of many different people.  It is called "Cobb's Creek Golf:  Uncovering a Treasure.  History and Design Evolution".  

Thanks to the generosity of Pete Trenham and his crew at the Trenham Golf History site, you can read this work, penned by Mike Cirba based on research of many people, me being the primary digger.  We hope you enjoy it, as we've had one heck of a ride putting it together.

Here is the teaser to get those of you unfamiliar with the project interested:

A century ago, Philadelphia's golf leaders believed that building exceptionally challenging golf courses would help develop top competitive golfers in the region, which led to the creation of Merion East, Pine Valley, and....Cobb's Creek. Read the amazing history of the course that in its time was viewed as the best and most challenging public links in the country and the story of the visionary men responsible.

Go here to find a link to the online book:

http://trenhamgolfhistory.org/PTHGCobbsCreek.html

Here is the link to the 51 page thread where you can relive how we got to this point:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,31872.0.html
  

[PCCraig]

Joe,

Looks great. Is there any way to print out though? It's a little hard to read on-screen IMO.

[Joe Bausch]

Joe,

Looks great. Is there any way to print out though? It's a little hard to read on-screen IMO.

Are you still working on that TR-S80?!  Does the magnify button the page not help at all?

You are the first person to indicate it is hard to read on-screen.  I can send you a link to be able to download the document, but warn you that it is over 300 pages in length.

[Mark McKeever]

I havent had any issues on my 22" monitor.

Mark

[Jim_Kennedy]

Joe,
Thanks for the post. Quite an endeavor.

I started to read it and thought my needle got stuck in a groove as every bullet point started with "The fact that...", but if I can get past all 23 of them I'll continue. 

[Joe Bausch]

Joe,
Thanks for the post. Quite an endeavor.

I started to read it and thought my needle got stuck in a groove as every bullet point started with "The fact that...", but if I can get past all 23 of them I'll continue. 

The fact that you can do so is awesome Jim.

 

[Jim_Kennedy]

Joe,
Thanks for the post. Quite an endeavor.

I started to read it and thought my needle got stuck in a groove as every bullet point started with "The fact that...", but if I can get past all 23 of them I'll continue.  

The fact that you can do so is awesome Jim.


 

Thank you Joe!   

[Tim Martin]

What an awesome compilation of research which I say after scanning only 60 pages. If someone goes through the document just with an eye toward viewing the photographs and article headers they will be far richer for the experience. This had to involve a painstaking amount of time and research and Professor Bausch, Mike Cirba and everyone else involved should be congratulated. Very impressive gents!

[Patrick Kiser]

Joe,

Very neat.  Thanks for sharing.

[Jim_Kennedy]

There's a tremendous amount of info in the 344 pages, again, quite a collection.

What's the status of the course today?   

[George Pazin]

Good stuff, well done, hats off to you and Mike.

Pat must be trying to read on a smartphone.

[Joe Bausch]

There's a tremendous amount of info in the 344 pages, again, quite a collection.

What's the status of the course today?   

Cobbs and the sister course (the Ab Smith masterpiece Karakung, ) are being managed by Billy Casper Golf.  Cobb's is still a blast to play this time of the season as it is when the conditioning is best.  As the hot summer months come along, it tends to get very firm and fast.   

[Mike_Trenham]

Joe and Mike tremendous work fact.

[Dan Herrmann]

Wow!

[Joe Bausch]

Another excellent article to bring new readers up to speed on this topic is an archived article from 2008 at Philly.com , penned by Joe Logan:

http://articles.philly.com/2008-04-27/sports/25250983_1_city-owned-courses-golf-course-design-city-owned-golf

[Mike Nuzzo]

Incredible work Joe & Mike - good luck.
Cheers

[Joe Bausch]

Incredible work Joe & Mike - good luck.
Cheers

Thank you Mike.

Recently Joe Logan weighed in again on the Cobb's front:

http://myphillygolf.com/detail.asp?id=11350

[Jim_Kennedy]

These are the present day green fees at Cobb's Creek, Olde Course.



Even if the money to renovate/restore the course was donated, do you think the city or Casper Golf Management would keep them the same?
I would think that the increased demands on a 'new and improved' course would end up in fees being raised,  probably in the $10 (seniors/juniors) to $20 (everyone else) range.

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

Good question, Jim.  Mike, Joe and I have discussed that very topic many times over the past 5+ years.  We hope to be able to answer it in the not too distant future...

[Joe Bausch]

Jim, I'm confident that everyone involved wants to make sure that the course is still a very good deal for locals and the groups who have supported the course over the years.   The details of the exact cost structure are way down the road however.

[Jim_Kennedy]

I'm confident that everyone involved wants to make sure that the course is still a very good deal for locals and the groups who have supported the course over the years.

Geoffrey and Joe,
I don't believe you'd approach it any other way,  it's just that I've never seen dollars invested in a course (normal maintenance aside) that weren't expected to bring an increase in revenues.    

[Joe Bausch]

Ed Abrams of KYW and TeeItUpPhilly.com has mentioned ‘the tome’:

Two local guys with a love of golf architecture and who dream of what could be at Cobbs Creek Golf Club, have now compiled a comprehensive history of what it was.  Comprehensive might be an understatement:  it is 344 pages worth of interesting reading.

Here is the link:

http://www.teeitupphilly.com/?p=1881

[Andy Hughes]

Congrats Joe and Mike. Quite an achievement.